In the tufting of carpets, rugs and other, similar products, as in most industries, it is desirable to increase production rates for the production of such tufted articles as much as possible. Increasing production rates increases efficiency and can save and/or lead to reduced costs of manufacturing, such as by reducing labor costs, by reducing the time required to produce a greater volume of tufted articles. In addition, as consumer tastes and preferences change, the demand for new and more complex or dynamic patterned carpets has increased. However, the formation of carpets including various pattern effects, for example shifting needle bars, forming of high/low pattern effects and the like, can limit production rates.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need exists for a system and method for forming tufted articles such as carpets that enables increased production rates for the formation of such tufted articles, including the formation of patterned tufted articles, and which addresses the foregoing and other related and unrelated problems in the art.